ObjectiveTo establish a model that can quickly identify the aroma components in different parts of Nardostachys jatamansi， so as to provide a quality control basis for the market circulation and clinical use of N. jatamansi. MethodsHeadspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-SPME-GC-MS） combined with Smart aroma database and National Institute of Standards and Technology（NIST） database were used to characterize the aroma components in different parts of N. jatamansi， and the aroma components were quantified according to relative response factor（RRF） and three internal standards， and the markers of aroma differences in different parts of N. jatamansi were identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） and cluster thermal analysis based on variable importance in the projection（VIP） value >1 and P<0.01. The odor data of different parts of N. jatamansi were collected by Heracles Ⅱ Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose， and the correlation between compound types of aroma components collected by the ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose and the detection results of HS-SPME-GC-MS was investigated by drawing odor fingerprints and odor response radargrams. Chromatographic peak information with distinguishing ability≥0.700 and peak area≥200 was selected as sensor data， and the rapid identification model of different parts of N. jatamansi was established by principal component analysis（PCA）， discriminant factor alysis（DFA）， soft independent modeling of class analogies（SIMCA） and statistical quality control analysis（SQCA）. ResultsThe HS-SPME-GC-MS results showed that there were 28 common components in the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi， of which 22 could be quantified and 12 significantly different components were screened out. Among these 12 components， the contents of five components（ethyl isovalerate， 2-pentylfuran， benzyl alcohol， nonanal and glacial acetic acid，） in the aboveground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the underground part（P<0.01）， the contents of β-ionone， patchouli alcohol， α-caryophyllene， linalyl butyrate， valencene， 1，8-cineole and p-cymene in the underground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the aboveground part（P<0.01）. Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose results showed that the PCA discrimination index of the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi was 82， and the contribution rates of the principal component factors were 99.94% and 99.89% when 2 and 3 principal components were extracted， respectively. The contribution rate of the discriminant factor 1 of the DFA model constructed on the basis of PCA was 100%， the validation score of the SIMCA model for discrimination of the two parts was 99， and SQCA could clearly distinguish different parts of N. jatamansi. ConclusionHS-SPME-GC-MS can clarify the differential markers of underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi. The four analytical models provided by Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose（PCA， DFA， SIMCA and SQCA） can realize the rapid identification of different parts of N. jatamansi. Combining the two results， it is speculated that terpenes and carboxylic acids may be the main factors contributing to the difference in aroma between the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi.

Jiegeng decoction is a classic prescription composed of two Chinese medicinal herbs： Platycodon grandiflorum and Glycyrrhiza uralensis. It has the efficacy of diffusing lung qi， resolving phlegm， relieving sore throat and discharging pus， and is commonly used in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as cough and pharyngodynia. This article reviews the chemical components， pharmacological mechanisms and clinical applications of Jiegeng decoction. It was found that Jiegeng decoction contains triterpenoid saponins， flavonoids， glycosides， acids， and other components， with platycodin D， platycodin D2， glycyrrhizic acid， glycyrrhetinic acid， liquiritin， etc.， serving as the main active pharmaceutical ingredients. Jiegeng decoction and its chemical constituents exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting signaling pathways such as nuclear factor-κB and mitogen- activated protein kinases， and demonstrate anti-tumor activities through mechanisms like modulating the tumor immune microenvironment and promoting cancer cell apoptosis. Additionally， it exhibits various pharmacological actions including antibacterial， antiviral， and antioxidant effects. Clinically， Jiegeng decoction， its modified prescription and compound combinations are widely used in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as cough， pneumonia， and pharyngitis， as well as digestive system disorders like constipation.

Cervical lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer is closely related to the disease recurrence and prognosis of patients. Accurate judgment of lymph node metastasis is vital for tumor stage and treatment in patients with thyroid cancer, which can effectively improve the prognosis of patients. However, preoperative detection of cervical lymph node metastasis is the key points and difficulties in individualized treatment of thyroid cancer. Currently, fine needle aspiration washout fluid thyroglobulin is often used to assess cervical lymph node metastasis of differentiated thyroid cancer preoperatively, and it has a higher diagnostic efficacy. The continuous exploration and application of tumor markers and emerging biomarkers have provided new perspectives for the preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer. As a new non-invasive detection technique, liquid biopsy is convenient to obtain samples and has broad clinical application in early diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer. In addition, the analysis and application of liquid biopsy biomarkers will help the development of clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies, and provide the possibility of early precision therapy for thyroid cancer patients. This review summarizes current research surrounding the molecular markers related to cervical lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer.

Objectives:To compare the early clinical effects between the two-dimensional(2D)navigation and X-ray fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy(PETD)in the treatment of lumbar disc hemiation(LDH).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 80 LDH patients who were treated with PETD from January 2022 to December 2022.40 patients were treated with 2D navigation-guided PETD(2D navigation group),including 24 males and 16 females,aged 28-55 years(40.5±7.7 years);10 cases were of L3/4,18 cases were of L4/5,and 12 cases were of L5/S1.The other 40 patients were treated with X-ray fluoroscopy-guided PETD(X-ray fluoroscopy group),including 22 males and 18 females,aged 28-54 years(41.7±7.7 years);7 cases were of L3/4,19 cases were of L4/5,and 14 cases were of L5/S1.There were no statistical differences in age,gender,and surgical segment between the two groups(P＞0.05).The patients were followed up for 11-16 months(13.3±1.2 months).The operation time,intraoperative bleeding volume,intraopera-tive fluoroscopy times,and complications of the two groups were analyzed.Visual analogue scale(VAS)scores of leg pain were evaluated before surgery,on 3d after operation,and at 12 months after surgery,and Os-westry disability index(ODI)was evaluated before surgery and at 1 month and 12 months after surgery.The clinical efficacy was evaluated using the modified MacNab efficacy evaluation criteria at 12 months after surgery.Results:All the patients successfully underwent the operation.The operation time in the 2D naviga-tion group was 40.6±5.4min,the intraoperative bleeding volume was 10.4±2.1mL,and the fluoroscopy times were 2.4±0.5;The operation time in the X-ray fluoroscopy group was 58.7±4.0min,the intraoperative bleeding volume was 11.3±2.4mL,and the fluoroscopy times were 10.6±4.0.The operation time was less and fluo-roscopy times were fewer in the 2D navigation group than those in the X-ray fluoroscopy group,and the dif-ferences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).There was no statistical difference between the two groups in in-traoperative bleeding(P＞0.05).There were 2 cases in the 2D navigation group and 3 cases in the X-ray fluo-roscopy group occurred short-term postoperative numbness,and the incidence was not statistically different be-tween groups(P＞0.05).The VAS scores of leg pain and ODI in both groups at various time points after surgery were significantly lower than those before surgery,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The VAS score of leg pain in the 2D navigation group was lower than that in the X-ray fluoroscopy group on 3d after surgery,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the two groups in VAS scores of leg pain and ODI at other time points during follow-up(P＞0.05).The final follow-up modified MacNab efficacy evaluation:36 cases were excellent,3 cases were good,and 1 case was fair in the 2D navigation group,and the excellent and good rate was 97.5％(39/40);30 cases were excellent,8 cases were good,and 2 cases were fair in the X-ray fluoroscopy group,and the ex-cellent and good rate was 95％(38/40),there was no statistical difference in the excellent and good rate be-tween the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusions:Both 2D navigation and X-ray fluoroscopy-guided PETD can achieve good clinical results in treating LDH,and 2D navigation guided PETD needs shorter operation time and fewer fluoroscopy times.

As a generally-recognized-as-safe microorganism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a widely studied chassis cell for the production of high-value or bulk chemicals in the field of synthetic biology. In recent years, a large number of synthesis pathways of chemicals have been established and optimized in S. cerevisiae by various metabolic engineering strategies, and the production of some chemicals have shown the potential of commercialization. As a eukaryote, S. cerevisiae has a complete inner membrane system and complex organelle compartments, and these compartments generally have higher concentrations of the precursor substrates (such as acetyl-CoA in mitochondria), or have sufficient enzymes, cofactors and energy which are required for the synthesis of some chemicals. These features may provide a more suitable physical and chemical environment for the biosynthesis of the targeted chemicals. However, the structural features of different organelles hinder the synthesis of specific chemicals. In order to ameliorate the efficiency of product biosynthesis, researchers have carried out a number of targeted modifications to the organelles grounded on an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of different organelles and the suitability of the production of target chemicals biosynthesis pathway to the organelles. In this review, the reconstruction and optimization of the biosynthesis pathways for production of chemicals by organelle mitochondria, peroxisome, golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, lipid droplets and vacuole compartmentalization in S. cerevisiae are reviewed in-depth. Current difficulties, challenges and future perspectives are highlighted.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism* ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism* ; Golgi Apparatus/metabolism* ; Metabolic Engineering ; Vacuoles/metabolism*

Objective:To explore the predictive value of low-dose biphasic (inspiratory and expiratory) CT air trapping sign and semi-quantitative score in predicting abnormal blood gas parameters and progression to severe disease in COVID-19 patients.Methods:Patients with non-severe COVID-19 who were diagnosed by nucleic acid testing and hospitalized in designated hospitals in Wuxi City from January 23 to February 29, 2020 were prospectively and consecutively recruited. All patients received low-dose biphasic CT examination on admission and repeated CT examination at regular intervals during the course. On the inspiratory phase admission of the bipolar CT, the scope of the lesion was evaluated by semi-quantitative score, and the air trapping sign on bipolar CT was assessed. The differences of semi-quantitative score, the presence of the air trapping sign and other clinical factors were compared between the patients with abnormal and the normal blood gas index, as well as between the cases progressed to severe disease and cases without disease progression using the independent sample t-test or χ 2 test. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and the comprehensive discriminant improvement index (IDI) were used to evaluate the predictive effectiveness of the semi-quantitative scores, air trapping sign, and combination of two factors in differentiating cases with abnormal and normal blood gas indexes, as well as in differentiating cases with and without disease progression to severe COVID-19 cases. Results:In total 51 non-severe COVID-19 cases were included, with 16 cases showed air trapping sign during the first biphasic CT examination on admission. During the course of the disease, there were 13 patients with abnormal blood gas index, and 9 cases displaying air trapping sign (9/13). All 7 cases with progression to severe cases showed air trapping sign (7/7). Patients with advanced age, air trapping sign and higher semi-quantitative score were found more likely to have abnormal blood gas index ( t=3.10, χ 2=9.38, t=3.34, P<0.05); patients with advanced age, underlying diseases, air trapping sign and higher semi-quantitative score were more likely to develop into severe disease ( t=2.68, χ 2=6.65, χ 2=4.25, t=4.33, P<0.05). The AUC of semi-quantitative score, air trapping sign and combination of two factors in distinguishing abnormal blood gas index from normal blood gas index was 0.803, 0.754 and 0.794 respectively. The AUC of semi-quantitative score, air trapping sign and combination of two factors in distinguishing cases with progression to severe cases from non-progression was 0.881, 0.898 and 0.932, respectively. Air trapping sign combined with semi-quantitative score significantly improved the prediction effectiveness of disease progression, compared with semi-quantitative score or air trapping sign (IDI=0.271, 0.117). Conclusion:Air trapping sign and semi-quantitative score might be used as effective indicators to predict the progression of COVID-19 cases, and the combination of these two factors might be more helpful to predict the disease progression.

【Objective】 To compare the clinical efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopic （UBE） and microscopic discectomy in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation （LDH） and to explore the safety and effectiveness of this operation. 【Methods】 A total of 87 LDH patients from July 2018 to July 2021 were analyzed retrospectively， including 42 cases of unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy and 45 cases of microscopic discectomy. Analysis was based on comparison of perioperative metrics， operation time， and estimated blood loss. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using visual analogue scale （VAS）， Oswestry disability index （ODI） and modified Macnab criterion. 【Results】 All patients were followed up for 13.3±1.18 months. In UBE group， operation time （57.12±6.35） min was shorter than that in the microscope group （62.21±7.09） min and estimated blood loss （29.31±3.62） mL was smaller than that in the microscope group （51.77±8.43） mL， with a significant difference （P<0.05）. The two groups of patients had significantly lower back pain VAS score， leg pain VAS score， and ODI index than those before operation （P<0.05）. The VAS score of lower back pain at 3 days after operation and the ODI index at 1 month after operation were significantly lower in UBE group than in the microscope group （P<0.05）. At other time points， there was no significant difference in lower back pain VAS score， leg pain VAS score or ODI index （P>0.05）. Dural sac tear occurred in 2 cases in UBE group and 3 cases in the microscope group； the incidence was not statistically significant （P>0.05）. Modified MacNab criterion evaluation at the last follow-up showed that 32 cases were excellent in UBE group， 7 cases were good， and 3 cases were fair， with the excellent and good rate of 92.9% （39/42）. The microscope group was excellent in 31 cases， good in 10 cases， and fair in 4 cases， with the excellent and good rate of 91.1% （41/45）. 【Conclusion】 UBE for LDH has a satisfactory short-term clinical efficacy， with the advantages of less trauma， greater efficiency， clear vision， and large operating space. Both UBE and microscopic discectomy can achieve good clinical results in treating LDH， but the former has the advantages of less trauma， high efficiency， and quick postoperative recovery.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are proteins or protein regions that fail to get folded into definite three-dimensional structures but participate in various biological processes and perform specific functions. Defying the traditional protein "sequence-structure-function" paradigm, they enrich the protein "structure-function" diversity. Ubiquitous in organisms, they show extreme hydrophilicity, charged amino acids, and highly repetitive amino acid sequences, with simple arrangement. As a result, they feature highly variable binding affinities and high coordination, which facilitate their functions. IDPs play an important role in cell stress response, which can improve the tolerance to a variety of stresses, such as freezing, high salt, heat shock, and desiccation. In this study, we briefed the characteristics, classifications, and identification of IDPs, summarized the molecular mechanism in improving cell stress resistance, and described the potential applications.
Freezing ; Intrinsically Disordered Proteins/metabolism* ; Protein Conformation

Effective utilization of xylose is a basis for economic production of biofuels or chemicals from lignocellulose biomass. Over the past 30 years, through metabolic engineering, evolutionary engineering and other strategies, the metabolic capacity of xylose of the traditional ethanol-producing microorganism Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been significantly improved. In recent years, the reported results showed that the transcriptome and metabolome profiles between xylose and glucose metabolism existed significant difference in recombinant yeast strains. Compared with glucose, the overall process of xylose metabolism exhibits Crabtree-negative characteristics, including the limited glycolytic pathway activity, which reduces the metabolic flux of pyruvate to ethanol, and the enhanced cytosolic acetyl-CoA synthesis and respiratory energy metabolism. These traits are helpful to achieve efficient synthesis of downstream products using pyruvate or acetyl-CoA as precursors. This review provides a detailed overview on the modification and optimization of xylose metabolic pathways in S. cerevisiae, the characteristics of xylose metabolism, and the construction of cell factories for production of chemicals using xylose as a carbon source. Meanwhile, the existed difficulties and challenges, and future studies on biosynthesis of bulk chemicals using xylose as an important carbon source are proposed.
Biofuels ; Ethanol ; Fermentation ; Metabolic Engineering ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics* ; Xylose

Objective:To explore the predictive value of a radiomics model based on preoperative contrast enhanced MRI in the assessment of the isocitrate dedydrogenase 1 (IDH 1) genotype in high-grade glioma.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on a dataset including 182 patients with high-grade glioma confirmed by surgical pathology between December 2012 and January 2018 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. There were 79 patients with IDH1-mutant glioma (45 cases with WHO grade Ⅲ, 34 with WHO grade Ⅳ) and 103 with IDH 1 wild-type glioma (33 cases with WHO grade Ⅲ, 70 cases with WHO grade Ⅳ). All patients had complete preoperative brain contrast enhanced MRI.The cases were divided into a training dataset and a validation dataset at a ratio of 7∶3 using stratified random sampling. Radiomic features were initially extracted using A.K (Analysis Kit, GE healthcare) software, and were selected and excluded using Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman analyses. Using R softwear " GLM" function, the Lasso-logistic model was finally conducted to obtain the optimized subset of the feature to build the radiomics model, and the model was then tested with cross-validation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the performance of the model in differentiating IDH1-mutant type and wild-type gliomas.Results:The radiomics model showed good performance in IDH genotype differentiation in both the training dataset (AUC 0.870, 95% CI: 0.754 to 0.855, accuracy rate 79.8%, sensitivity 85.5%, specificity 75.4%, positive predictive value 0.734, negative predictive value 0.867) and the validation dataset (AUC 0.860, 95% CI: 0.690 to 0.913, accuracy rate 78.9%, sensitivity 91.3%, specificity 69.0%, positive predictive value 0.700, negative predictive value 0.909).Conclusion:The radiomics model based on the preoperative enhanced MR can provide a way to predict the IDH1 genotype in high-grade gliomas.